How to Monitor PPC Campaigns During the Holidays

Although offices may close for the holidays, most PPC campaigns don’t stop running. So it is important to plan ahead for easy monitoring of your PPC initiatives during holiday vacations. Here are some tips on how to be prepared for the upcoming holidays.

Make sure your account notification settings are up to date and that you’ll receive emails for any billing or approval issues in your campaigns. (In Google AdWords this is viewed under the My Account tab)

Use Custom Alerts. You can set alerts in Google AdWords and Analytics based on various metrics and thresholds. I.e. if your conversions dip below a certain level, spend goes above desired amounts or if Cost/Conversions exceeds your goal. Customize the alerts to your client goals and you’ll be able to get a sense of how your account is doing without logging in.

Combine Alerts with Automated Rules. Google’s Automated Rules offer a variety of capabilities for more hands-off management. You can set rules at the campaign, ad group, keyword and ad level. Scheduling elements to turn on or off, or increasing and decreasing bids and budgets at desired thresholds are the main Rule functions. Just be sure to test rules before the holidays when you are around to monitor to make sure you are seeing the results you expect.

Have the engine emergency holiday contact information. Many search engine offices (including Google and Yahoo) are closed the week between Christmas and New Years, so your normal account reps will probably be unavailable if an issue arises. Request the emergency holiday contact information from your reps before December 23rd.

Plan ahead with your clients and your internal team. By now you and your clients hopefully have established and set-up the holiday strategy for their search engine marketing campaigns. Whether you are a retailer with special sales, or a B2B lead-gen client who is pulling back on spend over the holidays, be sure to clearly layout the strategy with your client. Inform them of your company’s holiday schedule and how you will be managing their accounts over the holidays. It is also best, if possible, to give them an idea of what performance to expect during the Christmas/New Years week, so that when you return in January they aren’t surprised by what you report!

Check in on the campaigns from home. As much as everyone avoids working from home during the holidays, the best way to make sure your accounts run smoothly is to check in on them every day or so. If you have the previous recommendations in place, then hopefully your time logged-in will be brief and you can get back to your family, presents and the eggnog!